Study finds U.S. healthcare would benefit from more immigrants

Opponents of increased immigration argue that migrants strain the U.S. healthcare system by driving up utilization at emergency departments and contributing to uncompensated care.

But a study published Tuesday in the International Journal of Health Services finds those assertions to be false, with immigrants overall paying more toward healthcare than they use.

An analysis of 188 peer-reviewed studies dating back to 2000 on the relationship between immigration and U.S. healthcare expenditures found per capita total health spending for immigrants was $1,139 compared to $2,546 among U.S.-born individuals.